Vented closure



15, 1969 c, CQLGAN EI'AL 3,455,481

VENIED CLOSURE Filed Aug. 30. 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 BGA \ CHARLES E f i 2| EDWARD J. McARDLE MZAVJ July 15, 1969 c, CQLGAN ET AL 3,455,481

VENTED CLOSURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 30. 1965 INVENTORS CHARLES E.. COLGAN EDWARD J. McARDLE lifted t 3,455,431 VEN'EED JILQSURE Charles E. Colgan, Glen Ellyn, and Edward J. McArdle,

Morton Grove, 1th., assignors to ontinental Can Company, Inn, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New V ri' Filed Aug. 30, 1965, set. No. 483,526

Int. Cl. 365d 51/16 US. Cl. fill-44 6 Claims ABSTRACT 6F THE DISCLOSURE When a paper cup or other containenis filled with a hot beverage, such as coffee, tea or the like, and capped with a lid or closure of paper or plastic or combinations tr ereof, the lid must be provided with some means through which excess vapor can escape to atmosphere. It 18 conventional to provide one or more small holes in such closures or lids at center portions thereof for this purpose. Such venting means serves the intended function but, at the same time, drops of the liquid contents can pass through the vent openings imparting an unattractive and unesthetic appearance to the exterior of the closures A primary purpose of this invention is to provide a novel closure structure wherein provision is made for permitting the escape of vapor to the atmosphere through a vent opening while preventing liquid from passing through the vent opening to preclude conventional ob ectionable out-spilling of the liquid and unsightly staining of the closure exterior.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel closure of the character stated wherein a hydrophobic element is positioned in a recess in overlying relationship to a vent opening of the closure, and the hydrophobic element is retained in the recess solely under the influence of a mechanical interlock and in the absence of an adhesive or other bonding agents whereby the cost of manufacturing the closures is appreciably reduced.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel closure formed of a single piece of sheet material, the closure including a disk-like body having means at its perinhery for effecting the attachment of the closure to a container, a recess formed in the end panel, the recess being defined by a peripheral wall and an end wall, a vent opening in the end wall, a hydrophobic element housed in the recess, the hydrophobic element having a free pcriphral edge portion, and the free peripheral edge portion of the hydrophobic element being in forceful frictional engagement with the peripheral wall thereby mechanically interlocking the hydrophobic element in the recess in the absence of an adhesive bond.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel closure of the type immediately above described in which the peripheral wall is generally frusto-conical in configuration having a large end adjacent the end wall and a smaller end defining an entrance opening of the recess, the hydrophobic element being substantially circular in outline, and the diameter of the hydrophobic element being greater than the diameter of the smaller end of the frustote atet 3,455,48l liatented July 15, 1969 2 conical wall whereby the hydrophobic element is retained n the recess and prevented from being accidentally or inadvertently removed therefrom.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel method of forming a closure of the type described including the steps of forming a disk-like body having an end panel and a recess defined by a peripheral Wall and an apertured end wall, temporarily enlarging an entrant openmg of the recess, inserting a hydrophobic element into the recess through the temporarily enlarged entrant opening, and returning the entrant opening to a size which prevents the removal of the hydrophobic element from the recess.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel method of manufacturing a closure by performing the steps of forming a disk-like body having an end panel and a recess defined by a flexible frusto-conical wall and an apertured end wall, temporarily enlarging an entrant openmg of the recess by flexing the frusto-conical wall radially outwardly, inserting a hydrophobic element into the recess through the temporarily enlarged entrant opening, and releasing the flexed peripheral wall causing the same to rebound under the influence of internal forces to a size which prevents the removal of the hydrophobic element from the recess.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel apparatus for forming a closure including means defining a predetermined path of travel for disk-like bodies each having an end panel and a recess defined by a flexible frusto-conical wall and an apertured end wall, means for advancing the disk-like bodies along the predetermined path, a tubular element adjacent the predetermined path, means forming a portion of the tubular element for flexmg the frusto-conical wall of each of the disk-like bodies whereby a portion of each recess is temporarily enlarged, and means for inserting a hydrophobic element into each recess from the tubular element while the recess is temporarily enlarged.

With the above and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description, the appended claims and the several views illustrated in the accompany drawings:

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic fragmentary top plan view of a novel apparatus of this invention, and illustrates a turret-type mechanism for cutting circular elements from a web of hydrophobic material and inserting each element into a recess of each of a plurality of closures.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary schematic side elevational view of the apparatus of FIGURE 1, and more clearly illustrates the turret-type mechanism and means for stacking each of the manufactured closures.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken through a tubular element of the turret-type mechanism, and illustrates the tubular element cutting a circular element from the hydrophobic material.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken generally along line 44 of FIGURE 1, and illustrates the tubular element positioned above and in axial alignment with a recess of one of the closures.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view similar to FIGURE 4, and illustrates the tubular element in a lowermost position at which the recess of the closure is enlarged, and a plunger forcefully urging the hydrophobic element into the recess.

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken generally along line 44 of FIGURE 1, and illus trates the retracted position of the tubular element prior to the retraction of the plunger.

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the completed closure, and illustrates a generally 3 frustO-conical wall of the recess mechanically interlockingly securing the hydrophobic element in the recess.

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken generally along line 44 of FIGURE 1, and illustrates a slightly modified closure in a position below one of the tubular elements housing a hydrophobic element.

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to FIGURE 8, and illustrates the reciprocated position of a plunger of the tubular element and the hydrophobic element force'fit in a recess of the closure.

FIGURE 10 is a fragmentary top perspective view with parts removed for clarity of a container housing a liquid and illustrates one of the closures positioned on the con tainer to prevent liquid seepage while permitting vapor to escape through a vent opening underlying a hydrophobic element of the closure.

A novel apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention is illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2 of the drawings, and is generally referred to by the reference numeral 15. The apparatus includes a hopper 16 housing a stack of identical closures 17. Lowermost one of the closures 17 are bottom-fed from the hopper 16 by a feed bar 18 which is reciprocated by conventional means (not shown) to progressively advance the closures along a predetermined path of travel from left-to-right, as viewed in FIGURES l and 2 of the drawings.

The closures are supported by a plate or support 20 (FIGURES 1 and 4) having an upstanding portion 21 (FIGURE 4) which functions in a manner to be described more fully hereafter. A pair of spaced, upstanding, parallel guides or rails 22, 23 guide the closures during the advancement thereof toward a discharge end 25 of the apparatus 15.

A roll 26 of hydrophobic material M in the form of a relatively narrow strip S is supported by a shaft 27 which is conventionally journalled in the framework (not shown) of the apparatus 15. Conventional means (not shown), such as pull rolls, are provided for moving the strip S from left-to-right toward a turret-type mechanism 30.

The material M is preferably polyethylene which is manufactured by fusing extremely small but discrete particles of polyethylene under controlled time, temperature and pressure conditions. The particles are heated just enough to fuse adjoining particle edges together while leaving an open lattice between adjoining particles. The open lattice defines a plurality of minute openings which prevent liquid passage but freely permit the passage of gas or vapor through the material M, as will appear more fully hereafter.

The strip S is supported by a plate 31 adjacent the mechanism 30. The plate 31 forms a portion of the framework (not shown) of the apparatus 15, and is supported substantially parallel to the support or plate 20. Means (not shown) can be provided for guiding the strip S during the movement thereof from left-to-right toward the mechanism 30. Such guide means may be, for example, upstanding portions of the plate 31 which freely contact and guide the opposite longitudinal edges (unnumbered) of the strip S.

The turret mechanism includes a shaft 33 which is intermittently rotated and reciprocated in the directions indicated by the headed arrows in FIGURES 1 and 2 of the drawings by conventional means (not shown). The rotational and reciprocal movements of the mechanism 30 are synchronized by conventional synchronizing or timing means (not shown). Four identical radial arms 34 are carried by the shaft 33. A tubular element 35 is supported at an outermost end (unnumbered) of each of the arms 34. Each of the tubular elements 35 is identical, and includes a lower end portion 36 and an upper end portion 37 (FIGURE 2).

As is best illustrated in FIGURE 3 of the drawings the lower end portion 36 of each tubular element 35 has a generally frusto-conical outer surface 38 which converges with an inner cylindrical surface 40 to define a circular cutting or severing edge 41.

An identical piston 42 is telescopically housed in each of the tubular elements 35. Each piston or plunger 42 has an upper end portion 43 normally projecting upwardly beyond the upper end portion 37 of an associated one of the tubular elements 35. A reduced lower end portion 44 of each piston 42 is normally housed entirely within the end portion 36 of an associated one of the tubular elements 35, as is clearly shown in FIGURE 3 of the drawings. The pistons 42 are each selectively reciprocated by means (not shown) during the operation of the apparatus 15 which will be best understood by first describing the construction of one of the identical closures 17.

As is best illustrated in FIGURE 4 of the drawings, a closure 47 which is identical to the closures 17 comprises a disk-like body 48 (FIGURE 11) having a downwardly opening curl 50 at its periphery for securing the disk-like body to a cup or similar container C in which is packaged a hot liquid media, such as tea or coffee. An end panel 51 of the disk-like body 48 includes an integral up standing annular head 52 defined by an outermost wall 53, an inner wall 54 and an annular top wall 55. The inner wall 54 is joined to the annular wall 55 by an integral wall portion 56 defining an entrance opening (unnumbered) of a recess 57. The recess 57 is defined by the inner wall 54 and an end or terminal wall 58 having a vent opening or aperture 60. The wall portion 56 and the inner wall 54- are each frusto-conical in configuration thus imparting a generally frusto-conical configuration to the recess 57.

As the closures 17 are advanced along the support 20 the terminal wall of each is in sliding contact with the portion 21 of the support 20, as is best illustrated in FIG- URE 4 of the drawings. Upon downward reciprocation of the turret-type mechanism 30 one of the tubular elements 35 cuts a circular disk or element 61 (FIGURE 3) from the material M. At the same time a diametrically opposite one of the tubular elements inserts a previously cut disk into the recess of one of the closures 17, as will be de scribed hereafter.

The shaft 33 of the turret-type mechanism 35 is reciprocated upwardly and successively indexed or rotated until the tubular element 35 carrying the hydrophobic disk61 is in overlying relationship to, for example, the closure 47, as shown in FIGURE 4 of the drawings. The axes of the tubular element 35, the plunger 42, the hydrophobic element 61 and the recess 57 are in alignment, and the shaft 33 is again moved downwardly to the position illustrated in FIGURE 5 of the drawings. As the tubular element 35 moves between the position illustrated in FIGURE 4 to the position shown in FIGURE 5, the cutting edge 41 of the tubular element 35 contacts the frustoconical wall portion 56 and progressively flexes the wall portion 56 and the inner wall 54 radially outwardly to the position illustrated in FIGURE 5 of the drawings. This same outward flexing of the wall portion 56 and the frusto-conical wall 54 flexes the outermost wall 53 outwardly to temporarily deform the head 52 to the configuration illustrated in FIGURE 5. In this position the entrance to the recess 57 is enlarged to permit the free passage of the hydrophobic disk 61 into the recess 57 under the influence of the downward movement of the plunger 42 to the position shown in FIGURE 5 of the drawing. The plunger 42 compresses the disk 61 causing a peripheral portion (unnumbered) of the latter element to forcibly grippingly engage the inner wall 54 of the annular bead 52.

After the hydrophobic disk 61 has been completely inserted in the recess 57 of the annular bead 52 (FIGURE 5) the tubular element 35 is reciprocated upwardly to the position illustrated in FIGURE 6 without movement of the plunger 42. During the upward retracting movement of the tubular element 35, the inner frusto-conical wall 54 progressively rebounds under the influence of internal forces to the position illustrated in FIGURE 6 of the drawings. In this position the frusto-conical wall 54 securely clampingly grips and mechanically interlocks the hydrophobic disk 61 in the recess 54 in the absence of separate bonding means of any type, such as an adhesive or other type bonding means. The plunger 42 is thereafter fully retracted to the position illustrated in FIGURE 3 of the drawings and the completed closure (FIGURE 7) is subsequently discharged into a stacking mechanism 65 at the discharge end of the apparatus 15.

The stacking mechanism 65 includes a housing 66 into which the completely formed vented closures, generally referred to by the reference numeral 67 are guided by opposite spaced guide plates 70, 71. A pair of oppositely acting pistons 72, 73 are operated by means (not shown) which progressively move the closure 67 to the right as viewed in FIGURE 2. The piston 73 merely steadies and maintains the closures 67 in the on-edge position shown in FIGURE 2 during the retraction of the piston 72 during which a closure is free to drop between the piston 72 and the leftmost of the plurality of closures 67.

FIGURES 8 and 9 of the drawings illustrate a tubular element 75 and a plunger 76 which are identical in structure to the respective elements 35, 42 of the apparatus 15. However, the method of inserting a hydrophobic disk 77 into a frusto-conical recess 78 of a closure 80 is slightly different than that heretofore described with respect to FIGURES 46 of the drawings. The closure 80 also differs somewhat from the closure 47 in that the frustoconical wall portion 56 is eliminated and in lieu thereof an annular radius portion 81 joins an end wall 82 of the closure 80 to a frusto-conical inner wall 83 partially defining the recess 78.

After the tubular element 75 has been indexed to the position illustrated in FIGURE 8 with the axes of the element 75, the plunger 76, the hydrophobic element 77 and the recess 78 in axial alignment, the plunger 76 is moved downwardly without movement of the tubular element 75. The disk 77 is generally circular in configuration and the diameter thereof is slightly larger than an entrance opening of the recess 78 defined by the radius portion or shoulder 81. As the plunger descends the periphery (unnumbered) of the hydrophobic element 77 deforms slightly and the inner frusto-conical wall 83 is also flexed slightly to enlarge the entrance opening and effect complete introduction of the element 77 into the recess 78. The plunger 76 compresses the hydrophobic element 77 upon continued downward movement to the position illustrated in FIGURE 9 until the periphery of the element is in frictional mechanical clamping interlocking engagement with the frusto-conical wall.

Upon the upward retraction of the plunger 76 the frusto-conical wall 83 rebounds radially inwardly and the completely formed vented closure, generally referred to by the reference numeral 85, assumes a configuration 6 corresponding substantially identically to the configuration of the vented closure 67 (FIGURE 7).

From the foregoing, it will be seen that novel and advantageous provisions have been made for carrying out the desired end.

We claim:

1. A closure comprising a disc-like body formed of a single piece of sheet material, said disc-like body having an end panel, means at the periphery of the end panel for attaching the closure to a cup or other container, an upstanding bead inboard of said attaching means, said bead being defined by an outer peripheral wall, an integral juncture and in inner frusto-conical wall closed at the larger end thereof by an end wall, said inner frustoconical wall and said end wall defining a recess having an entrant opening at said integral juncture which is of a diameter less than the diameter of said end wall, said frusto-conical wall being constructed of flexible reboundable material, a vent opening in said end wall, a circular hydrophobic element housed in said recess, said hydrophobic element having a peripheral edge defining a diameter normally greater than the diameter of said entrant opening, said peripheral edge being in intimate engagement with said frusto-conical wall, and the flexible reboundable nature of said frusto-conical wall being effective in conjunction with the lesser diameter of said entrant opening to form a mechanical-frictional interlock between said frusto-conical wall and said peripheral edge for securing said hydrophobic element in said recess in the absence of adhesive or chemical bonding.

2. The closure as defined in claim 1 wherein said entrant opening is defined by another frusto-conical wall merging at its smaller end with the smaller end of first mentioned frusto-conical wall.

3. The closure as defined in claim 1 wherein said hydrophobic element is constructed from compressible material, and said hydrophobic element is in a compressed condition in said recess to force the peripheral edge thereof into intimate engagement with said frusto-conical wall.

4. The closure as defined in claim 1 wherein said end wall lies in a plane parallel to and axially spaced from a plane through said end panel outboard of said bead.

5. The closure as defined in claim 2 wherein said hydrophobic element is constructed from compressible material, and said hydrophobic element is in a compressed condition in said recess to force the peripheral edge thereof into intimate engagement with said frusto-conical wall.

6. The closure as defined in claim 3 wherein said end wall lies in a plane parallel to and axially spaced from a plane through said end panel outboard of said bead.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS JAMES B. MARBERT, Primary Examiner 

